Unfortunately I didn't see the game yesterday, but my take is this: Brees is pressing and forcing bad passes. He has too many options and goes through stretches in which he targets the same receiver 4 out of 5 plays, then switches off to someone else (sometimes a great idea, if the defense dictates this). But mainly, Brees is pressing and throwing INTs. Defenses are getting smart on Graham, and without Sproles as the quick outlet from the backfield (he was the best receiving back), and if the younger guys can't create space on the sides (or maybe this is play-calling), Brees just doesn't have to arm to hit someone if the person for whom the play was drawn up isn't open. On the defense, Rob Ryan simply doesn't know how to coach. It's also possible that the players aren't good enough, but Ryan's past shows that his teams peak (often very high) in years 2-3 then drop precipitously from there. Also, the Saints D (in its current iteration) is contingent on the offense managing the game clock, much like the Colts' version of the Tampa 2 (similar in principle only, not mechanics).
In short: O-Line isn't built to run the football, but instead to allow Brees enough time for short passes to move the ball. The Defense is no longer built on big-plays and creating turnovers, but choking out the free space and causing the opponents to run out of time. Defenses have figured out how to play him and now the team philosophy folds when you take this away, because this defense only works when you have a lead.
What do you think?
